No Fate
by Paul Matthews
Summary: Phil has been back in the future for 3 years now and can't stop thinking about Keely. When he finds disturbing news about her on the Giggle he decides to head to the past to save her, but someone is following him.
1. He Who Giggles Last

**Author's Note: Hey I decided to try my hand at a Phil of the Future story since I've been watching old episodes lately. I will post this as I write it as opposed to posting a finished story all at once like I usually do. **

**Chapter 1: He Who Giggles Last**

It was a day of celebration at the Diffy house. Phil had graduated from school and was looking at some of the best colleges that the 22nd century had to offer, but Phil was not feeling like celebrating. It had been over three years since the Diffy family returned to the year 2121 and even after all this time Phil still couldn't stop thinking about the girl he left behind. He had attempted to date girls in his time period, but they just weren't the same. Phil still kept a framed photo of Keely by his bedside and at this moment he sat on his bed tracing the contours of her face in the photograph with his finger.

"Keely...I miss you so much right now. I wish you were here," he said to himself.

"There you are!" Pim said from the doorway with her arms folded and a look of annoyance on her face. "Everyone is downstairs waiting on you!"

"I'll be down in a second," Phil said without looking up.

"No you won't. You're going to spend the rest of the night up here crying over a picture of your EX-GIRLFRIEND!" Pim said with an extra emphasis on the end.

Phil looked up at Pim and felt the sudden urge to slam the door in her face. He usually just let Pim's antics roll off of his back, but lately she had been meaner than ever. Pim had just broken up with her third boyfriend of the year because according to her he said "bless you" when she sneezed and that was just too nice for her tastes.

"Pim just leave okay! I'll be down in a second," Phil yelled and Pim rolled her eyes before walking away.

Phil placed the photo back on the night stand and wiped his eyes as a couple of tears had fallen since his run in with Pim. Phil then walked downstairs to find his Parents and Pim standing at the dining table.

"There's my boy...or should I say man? Your mom sprung for the best food cans money can buy for this special occasion. We have all of your favorites!" Lloyd said and gestured towards the table full of food sprayed from a can.

"Thank you guys this means a lot to me," Phil said, but he couldn't hide the sadness in his voice.

"What's wrong honey?" Barbara asked.

"What do you think is wrong Mom? He's still moping around about his EX-GIRLFRIEND!" Pim said and again emphasized the end.

"I just wish she was here," Phil said with a dirty look in Pim's direction.

"Oh sweetie," Barb said and hugged her son.

"I still don't get why I can't got back for just a visit!" Phil said to his dad.

"You know the laws nowadays. Traveling back in time is strictly prohibited now because of all those who tried to change history...and partly because of us! If you were to even go back five minutes you would probably be arrested!" Lloyd said.

"I know. I just want to see her again. Even if it is just once," Phil said and his Dad put an arm around him.

"You remember what we went through when we got back. You remember the hearing we had to go through to prove that we were not trying to change history. If they were to catch you going back you probably would not get off easy this time," Lloyd said. "I also think it's best to let Keely live out her life and move on. I know that's hard for you to hear, but going back for one visit will only make it harder for her."

"You're right. Sorry I brought down the mood of the party. Let's dig into that cake before Curtis eats all the food," Phil said and everyone turned to see Curtis chowing down on a plate full of food.

"What? Curtis hungry and you all take too long!" he said in his broken English with a bit of chicken dangling from his lip.

The rest of the dinner went off without any mention of time traveling or Keely, but once Phil got back to his room thoughts of Keely came rushing back. He started rummaging through his closet for more keepsakes that he had of Keely and was almost about to give up when something in a box caught his eye. He pulled out a bicycle helmet looking object with a fold up screen in front and instantly got an idea.

"The Giggle! Of course I can look up information about Keely. It's better than nothing," he said to himself.

Phil sat down on his bed and placed the helmet on his head. He then pulled down the screen and spoke, "Giggle on! Giggle search Keely Teslow, 2006, H.G. Wells High School tape archive." The first video that popped up made Phil smile. It was the day that Keely announced the winners of year book voting. When she freaked out about the two of them being voted "Cutest Couple" he had to smile. He never did tell her that it was him that secretly got the ball rolling on the whole cutest couple voting. He had slipped a ballot with their names on it into the box and then had Via spread the word. His plan had worked...until his Dad decided to fix the time machine and bring them home.

"Giggle...next video please," Phil said and what popped up next Phil was not ready for. It was the video of their kiss. Phil began to cry as he watched the video. When he heard Keely whisper, "In the future will you wait for me?" he lost it. He knew as well as she did that she would never survive until the year 2121, but he made the promise anyway. It was then that he decided to look up information on Keely's life past the point where he left. "Giggle search Keely Teslow, 2030, news reporter," he said and the Giggle took a few seconds to search. Phil expected to see the video they had watched before of Keely interviewing the fat Lady X about alien abductors, but what happened instead caught him off guard. "Error, no information found," a recorded voice said.

Phil stood up so fast that he nearly fell over and made his request again, "Error, no information found," was all he got in return. "That can't be!!" Phil yelled. "Giggle search for the last known file on Keely Teslow," Phil said and after a few seconds a video popped up that nearly made Phil faint. A video marked August 21, 2006 began to play. It was a newscast about a missing person report. The missing person in question...Keely Teslow.

Phil yanked the Giggle off of his head and tried to walk, but he found himself feeling faint and before he knew it he was hitting the floor hard. "Is everything okay honey?" his Mom called from downstairs. It was the last thing he heard before passing out.

**To be continued....**


	2. Vanished

**Chapter 2: Vanished**

Barbara Diffy rushed upstairs to find Phil passed out on the floor. She attempted to help him to his feet while Pim looked on with glee.

"Did he hit his head?" Pim asked over her shoulder.

"Honey can you hear me?" Barb asked as Lloyd appeared at the door.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Phil fainted," Pim said with a laugh.

Phil started to come around and mumbled the name, "Keely."

"Still on about that?" Pim said in an annoyed voice.

Phil started to push himself off the ground as he said, "She's in trouble."

"Honey what are you talking about?" Barb asked.

"On the Giggle…I saw a news report about Keely going missing!" Phil said and pointed at the helmet lying on the ground.

Pim perked up at the mention of the Giggle and walked over to pick it up. Phil's parents looked concerned at their son as he sat down on his bed and recounted what he had experienced with the Giggle.

"Son…I know you are worried about her, but there is nothing you can do. I'm sorry," Lloyd said with a hand on Phil's shoulder.

Phil shrugged his Dad's hand off his shoulder and stood up to say, "I'm not going to just sit here knowing that she's in danger! Dad there's no mention of her past that one video. That means no one ever found her! How am I supposed to just sit here knowing that?"

Lloyd and Barbara just looked at each other at a loss for what to say. In the background Pim was watching the videos that Phil had watched.

"I have to go back in time and save her!" Phil said.

"Honey you know that is against the law. Besides Lloyd destroyed the time machine…right?" Barb said.

"Umm…yeah I destroyed it right after our hearing ended," Lloyd said.

Phil threw himself back down onto the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm so sorry honey. Try and get some sleep. Maybe in the morning you can check the Giggle again and there will be an update," Barb said, but she wasn't sure she believed what she said.

Even Pim was restrained as she handed back the Giggle and left the room with her parents. For awhile Phil just stared off into the corner and wondered how he was going to save Keely. He laid down and stared up at the ceiling for awhile and before he knew it he drifted off. A few hours passed and suddenly Phil found himself awaken by a noise in his room. Before he could look to see what had made the noise a hand touched his shoulder.

"What…," Phil started to say, but a hand covered his mouth and he heard the man say, "Shhhhhhh"

When the man finally moved his hand Phil said, "Dad?"

"Come with me son there's something you need to see," he said and led Phil down the stairs and out of the house. The walked over to the storage building behind the house and Lloyd pressed his nose to the sensor on the wall. Phil had seen this technology used by his Dad before when he locked away their gadgets back in the 21st century. The sensor recognized his father and a door opened to let them in.

"Dad what are we doing?" Phil asked.

"What I'm about to show you could get us both in a lot of trouble, but right now it's a chance we have to take," Lloyd said and before Phil could ask what he meant Lloyd hit a button on a small remote and a large Winnebago appeared in front of them out of nowhere.

"The time machine!!" Phil exclaimed.

"Shhhhh. Not so loud Phil!" Lloyd said.

"But you told Mom that you destroyed it! How have you hidden it all this time?" Phil asked.

"I invented a cloaking device for it. I just couldn't bear to destroy it," Lloyd said.

"Mom comes in here all the time though. Wouldn't she have run into an invisible time machine?" Phil asked his dad.

"This device does more than make it invisible. It actually phase-shifts the time machine into another dimension. It has its bugs, but for the most part it works great," he said with pride.

"You're brilliant Dad! Now I can go back to the past and save Keely," Phil said and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Yes! I've already programmed the coordinates in for you, but you have to leave now in the dead of night to avoid being caught. Time cops will be on you before you can blink if they find out. I will explain everything to your Mom and Pim in the morning," Lloyd said and Phil hugged his Dad.

"Thank you Dad. Let me just go change and I'll be ready," Phil said and started to leave, but his Dad stopped him.

"I put a Dress-Me-Hoop in the time machine for you. You have to go now," Lloyd said and directed Phil towards the door to the machine.

"Okay. Better open up the doors for me then," Phil said as his Dad walked over to the garage door and opened it by waving his hand in front of a sensor.

Lloyd walked over to the driver's side window and leaned in to say, "I've made some adjustments to the engines so it won't be so loud. You should be able to go into flux without drawing too much attention."

"Thank you again," Phil said and Lloyd smiled.

"You just be careful. Also if you have plans on bringing Keely back to the future with you I would advise against it. The punishments for doing so are pretty harsh. Just make sure she is safe," he said and then added, "Good luck son."

Lloyd stepped away from the machine and out the door as Phil began the process of going into flux. Just as his dad had said the engines were whisper quiet and if it weren't for the lurch of the machine he might not have even known that he was about to move. Suddenly Phil found himself hurled through time and space in a flash of light.

Lloyd headed back for the house after closing up the garage. As he reached the side door of the house he was distracted by yet another flash of light from down the street. He turned quickly, but he did not see anything. "That was odd," he said, but turned to enter the house.

**To be continued…**


	3. Out of Time

**Chapter 3: Out of Time**

The time machine raced along as Phil sat anxiously waiting to arrive in 2006. Lloyd had been nice enough to pack a few things in the machine for him. He had put some food cans, a wizard, and the Giggle itself in the machine, which told Phil that he must have been out like a light in his room if his Dad was able to grab that without waking him. Phil checked the Giggle for the fourth time since leaving and still found no updates on Keely. He doubted that there would be any, but he hoped there was an off chance that somehow things had been changed. Negative thoughts kept trying to push their way into Phil's mind, but he blocked them out by focusing on the fact that he was going to see Keely again for the first time in three years. He pulled out the photograph of Keely from his room and looked at it again. Her smiling face in the photo was enough to make him feel better.

The coordinates on the machine were set to arrive two days before Keely went missing. This would hopefully give Phil enough time to warn her and come up with a plan to keep her safe. According to the instruments on the dashboard he would arrive at 2006 in another thirty minutes. Phil decided to take a little nap since he was awaken in the middle of the night to go on this adventure. He slipped off to sleep in a matter of seconds and immediately fell into a nightmare.

_In the dream Phil could hear Keely calling out to him, but he could not see her._

"_Phil!!! Help me!!! Where are you?" she called out._

"_I'm here Keely!! Where are you? Keely!!!" Phil called out, but her voice seemed to be trailing off into the distance._

_Suddenly a strange man was walking towards Phil. He did not recognize the man, but he felt a sudden panic wash over him. Phil began to run from the man, but no matter how fast he ran the man continued to gain on him. As Phil continued to run he tripped and fell and the man began to reach out for him._

"_No!!! What have you done with Keely!?" Phil yelled at the man. Just as the hand grabbed Phil by the shirt he woke up._

Phil sat up quickly and gasped for air. His shirt was damp with sweat and his heart was pounding. It took him a second to realize that the time machine had stopped. He looked out the window and saw that he was now sitting in front of Keely's house. Phil quickly stepped out of the time machine and took in the fresh air to help regain his composure. Once he was ready he clicked the button on the remote and the time machine disappeared into thin air. Phil looked at his watch and saw that it was 8:00 AM, which meant that Keely would be at the school, about to give the morning news. Luckily Keely lived nearby the school so Phil walked down the street towards the school building.

Meanwhile in the video lab Keely sat at her desk going over the notes for the day's show. It was a new school year and this was the first show of the semester. She had her salt shaker sitting next to her as she always did during the show ever since Phil had left. Having the shaker nearby helped her make it through the show.

"One minute to go time," Brian said to her from behind the camera and she just smiled in return. She glanced down at the salt shaker and suddenly felt a strong desire to see Phil again. She had to fight to keep a tear from falling. Phil had left four months ago, but it still hurt to think about him. "10 seconds," Brian said and Keely snapped out of her daydream. She quickly straightened her hair and looked ready as Brian gave her the signal.

"Good morning. I'm Keely Teslow and this is the news for August 19, 2006. Welcome back for another exciting school year at H.G. Wells. In our first news story...," she began to say, but then she noticed a commotion behind the camera. All the students standing around were staring at the doorway with open mouths and then they glanced at Keely.

"What...what's going on?" she asked and suddenly the students parted and there he was.

"Phil!!!" Keely exclaimed and stood up from her desk. She forgot all about the show and ran to hug him. She met him with such force that she nearly knocked him over and within seconds she was kissing him, not caring who was watching. The two of them kissed for a solid minute while everyone around them smiled and laughed. Finally she broke the kiss and smiled. "You came back!"

"I had to come back. There's something important I need to tell you. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Phil asked.

"Yeah we can go in a classroom down the hall. It's not being used," she said with a big grin. She led him quickly to the room and once inside she started kissing him again. "I missed you so much," she said after breaking the kiss.

"I missed you too. Keely the reason I came back is because you're in danger," he said bluntly and Keely's smile turned into a confused look.

"In danger? From what?" she said with a little laugh.

"I don't know yet, but all I know is I saw a news report on the Giggle about you going missing and I haven't been able to find any more information after that," he said to her and she began to really look worried.

"But...who would want to hurt me?" she asked.

"I don't know. All I know is I have to keep you safe. According to the video you go missing in two days," Phil said and sat down on one of the nearby desks.

"Two days!? Oh no...no no!" Keely said and began to freak out. She wrung her hands together and paced around the room. "Phil what are we going to do? We don't even know who's after me," she added before leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Maybe you should leave town for a few days. Do you have any family in other cities?" Phil asked as he put his arms around her and held her close.

"Nana Martin lives in Clarksville. I could...," she started to say, but the door to the room suddenly opened.

"I'm sorry could we have a second please," Phil said as a man walked into the room, but the second the words were out of his mouth he knew it was no good. The man he saw standing in the doorway was the same man from his nightmare. Phil stood quickly and placed himself in front of Keely.

"Who are you?" Phil asked.

"Phil Diffy...you need to come with me," the man said and gave the two of them a stony stare.

"Why would I do that?" Phil asked defiantly.

"Because you are in violation of the time travel laws...and you are under arrest," the man said and then flashed a badge.

"What!?" both Phil and Keely said at once.

"No!! You can't take him! He was just coming to save my life," Keely said to the man, but he ignored her as he walked over to Phil and grabbed him by the arm.

"You don't understand. This woman is in danger. You need to tell your colleagues to protect her! Someone is going to try and abduct her in two days!" Phil pleaded.

"That is not our job. We track down and arrest time travelers. If she is in trouble she needs to contact her local police," the man said as he pulled Phil's arm behind his back and cuffed him.

"You know they won't believe her! Please I'm begging you don't do this!" Phil said as the man began to drag Phil away. Phil started to struggle and the man shoved him up against the wall.

"Look Diffy! We've been watching your family for awhile. Ever since you came back from the past you've been watched. We know that you are all up to something and now I have my proof. I don't know what this young lady has to do with your plans, but you will not be interfering in the time-line again! I have made it my personal mission to rid this world of Chrono-Terrorism and scum like you and your family are exactly what I'm after," the man said as he pinned Phil against the wall.

"I'm not a terrorist!!" Phil cried out.

"He's not! I told you he came to save my life!" Keely cried.

"There have been countless attempts by terrorists to go into the past and alter major events in history. You and your family have spent the most time in the past out of anyone from our time period. Are you trying to tell me that you were all just taking a vacation!?" the man yelled.

"It was an accident. Our time machine broke down in this century and my Dad had trouble fixing it!" Phil said to the man who was mere inches from his face.

"Likely story! You're coming with me Diffy!" the man said and dragged Phil out of the room by his arm. Phil was paraded past onlooking students who all whispered to themselves. Keely followed behind them with tears in her eyes.

"Keely get out of town! Whatever you do don't stick around here!" Phil called out to her as the man pushed Phil forward and away from the students.

"Okay...I will!" she called back as the mass of students blocked her view of Phil.

"When we find your time machine Diffy your Father will be joining you in a jail cell! We will have all the evidence we need to put you all away!" the man said as he pressed a button on his remote and his car pulled up to the curb. Phil could see that even though the car looked like something out of the current time period it had no driver. The man opened the back door and shoved Phil inside before closing the door and heading for the driver's side. Soon the car was in motion and within minutes they were going into flux and heading back to the future. Phil was trapped, Keely was helpless, and the time machine was stuck in 2006. The whole ride back Phil sat in silence hoping to himself that Keely took his advice. Once they were finally back in the year 2124 Phil asked the man a question.

"Is there any way you can check the Giggle to see if Keely is okay. That's all I'm asking," he said.

The man sat in silence, pretending he didn't hear Phil, so he asked again.

"Please...I just want to know if my friend is okay," Phil pleaded.

The man reached over and punched a few keys on his dashboard and a TV monitor sprung to life in front of Phil.

"You have two minutes and then I'm cutting it off," the man said.

"Giggle on! Giggle show me last known file on Keely Teslow," Phil asked and braced himself. After a few seconds a video began to play and instantly Phil felt like the world was falling out from under him. On the screen was the same news story about Keely's disappearance that he had seen before. "NO! This can't be!!!" he cried.

The man cut the Giggle off after a few seconds and then looked back to say, "You will now contact your Father and tell him you are in custody. Do you understand me? I'm hoping that once he sees we have you that he will turn himself in as well," the man said and the TV monitor switched over to a live feed. Within seconds Lloyd Diffy was answering the video call.

"Diffy residence! Phil!!!" he said when he saw Phil's face. "What happened?"

"Dad...the time cops got me. I've been arrested," Phil said.

"No!! Oh no...oh this is all my fault," Lloyd said.

"It gets worse...Dad....I failed....Keely.....she's gone Dad. She's gone," Phil said.

**To be continued...**


	4. Q and A

**Chapter 4: Q and A**

Phil was led to an interrogation room and sat down at a table with a strange machine attached to the end. The machine was a box with flashing lights and a large funnel-like object like something you would see on an old fashioned gramophone. Phil eyed the machine warily as the time cop cuffed his wrist to a bar on the side of the table.

"If you are wondering what that is it is a Lie Detector 3000. If you speak a lie a bell will sound," the man said.

The time cop then sat on the opposite side of the table and looked down at a note pad before speaking.

"Mr. Diffy you were caught using an illegal time machine to go to the past with the intent of changing the future," the man started.

"I wasn't trying to change the future!" Phil said.

DING!!

"That sound tells me that you were Mr. Diffy," the man said with a smirk.

"I was just trying to protect my girlfriend. She was in danger!" Phil said.

"Your girlfriend? Are you referring to Ms. Teslow?" the man asked with a smugness that made Phil want to strangle him.

"Of course I'm referring to Ms. Teslow!" Phil said angrily.

"According to our records Phillip Diffy, in the year 2125, marries one Alyson Martin. They go on to have two kids together and all that jazz. However, there is no mention of any Keely Teslow past the year 2006. This is your future Mr. Diffy! Any attempt to change that would be seen as a threat to National Security!" the man said.

"A what?? How is saving Keely a threat to National Security?" Phil asked.

"One minor change to the past can affect more than you think! We've been doing damage control for years now because of the two and a half years your family spent in the past! This is why we invented the Giggle! To help preserve the time-line as it is meant to be!!" the man said as his face began to turn red with anger.

"Hold on!! Speaking of the Giggle! Keely and I both saw her future and she was supposed to be a successful News Reporter! That was changed! How is that not a threat to National Security?" Phil asked as his own face began to redden.

"That was an altered future based off your presence in the past. Once you finally came home the future was reset back to what it was meant to be. Keely Teslow disappeared in the year 2006...never to be heard from again!" the man yelled.

"Hey show a little respect!! That's the woman I love you are talking about!" Phil yelled in return.

The time cop bit his lip and looked ready to leap across the table at Phil, but finally he calmed down and said through clenched teeth, "I am sorry for your loss! However, as I said before, you are fated to marry Alyson Martin next April. This will go off without a hitch as you have done enough damage as it is! Even if you have to hold your wedding in a jail cell!!"

"_I don't even know this Alyson Martin. Why would I marry her in less than a year's time?" Phil thought to himself._

"Fated? So what you are telling me is that our lives are predetermined for us and we have no say in it?" Phil asked.

"We must preserve the time-line. You don't realize the consequences of changing the past! The invention of Time Travel has become a plague on this world. If we were to let it get out of control people could very well unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum!" the man said.

"So it could destroy the entire universe?" Phil asked.

"Yes! Granted that is a worst case scenario," the man said and seemed to calm down after discovering that Phil understood the situation.

Phil couldn't help but smile to himself as he remembered watching the Back to the Future movies with Keely. He remembered telling her how inaccurate they were, but he did enjoy the entertainment value. All the talk about fate made him remember another movie that he and Keely watched together. _"No fate but what we make," _Phil thought to himself. That was the phrase from the Terminator movies and Phil still believed that it was a true statement.

"What are you smiling about Diffy!? Does the destruction of the universe make you happy?" the man asked incredulously.

"No sir...I was just remembering some of the times I had with Keely," Phil said.

"I realize Diffy that you are just a product of your upbringing. Your Father is the one I'm really after. You will be punished for your crime, but your punishment should not be as severe as his will be! Now Mr. Diffy I have a question for you that I want a straight answer on. You know the machine will tell me if you are lying! Tell me is it true that your Father purposely kept the time machine broken for two and a half years so that you could stay in the past?" the man asked and Phil was caught off guard.

How had this man known that? Phil knew if he answered falsely the machine would ding and he would be in trouble, but if he answered truthfully it would feed this man's paranoia about his family.

"Yes, but only because he knew that we loved it there and he didn't really want to leave! He wasn't trying to change the future or anything like that!" Phil said finally.

"You loved it there? With all the primitive contraptions and wars!? Was it because of the girl? Were you really that infatuated with a 21st Century American girl? The women from your own time are far superior!" the man said to him with disdain.

"I told you before to have some respect for the de...," Phil began but he could not bring himself to say the word 'dead'.

The man merely smirked at Phil as he looked ready to attack. Phil sat back down in his chair and breathed deeply.

"I believe that is enough questions for today. Your official hearing will be held in two days time. I would work on your temper before then Mr. Diffy," the man said as he stood up and exited the room.

**To be continued...**


	5. Family Meeting

**Chapter 5: Family Meeting**

"Pim could you come down here please!" Lloyd called up the stairs and continued his pacing. Both Lloyd and Barb looked extremely worried. Their son was being held in custody for breaking time travel laws. Pim made her way down the stairs and stood with her arms folded.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Honey...your brother has been arrested," Barb said.

Pim couldn't help but smile and say, "I knew this would happen eventually. I told you before that he was nothing but trouble!"

"Pim this is no time for joking! Phil...wasn't able to save Keely. No one has seen or heard from her since 2006," Lloyd said and looked down at the floor in silence.

"Oh...wow," was all that Pim could say and even she was a bit taken back by the news.

"Right now we just need to focus on helping your brother. I can't even imagine what he's going through right now," Lloyd said and sat down on the couch next to his wife.

"What are you going to try and bust him out of jail?" Pim said finally breaking the silence in the room.

"Honey that would only put him him worse trouble. Plus your Father can't go near the police right now they are just looking for a reason to bring him in as well," Barb said.

"And those guys at the CTTF are ruthless. They have really been sold on this idea of protecting the time-line and following fate's plan. Quite frankly it scares me. They are one step away from completely controlling our lives!" Lloyd said referring to the Chrono-Terrorism Task Force.

"Well I can sort of see where they are coming from," Pim started to say, but her Parents were giving her a strange look.

"Honey your brother didn't do anything wrong!" Barb said.

"The law is the law Mom. Why do you think Dad had to sneak Phil out of the house in the middle of the night?" Pim said.

"Don't you even care what's happening to your Brother?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course I care! I'm just saying that it will be next to impossible to get him out of this one. Maybe we should just let him take his punishment?" Pim said.

Lloyd stood up from the couch and walked around the living room for a minute or so. He looked deep in thought. Finally he turned to his family and said, "This is my fault and I should be the one to get him out of this. I'm going to turn myself in. Perhaps they will let Phil go if they have me?"

"You are not turning yourself in! You didn't do anything wrong either. Plus as you said earlier those men at the CTTF are ruthless and they have it out for you!" Barb said in desperation.

"I should have destroyed the time machine like I was told to do. I would have returned it if the rental store hadn't gone out of business due to the new laws....and the fact that a store full of water slides just isn't enough to keep a business going," Lloyd said to his family standing in front of him.

"So destroy it now before we all get in trouble," Pim said with a look of annoyance.

"Umm...that will be kind of hard," Lloyd said.

"Why?" Pim asked.

"Because the time machine is still in 2006...and it's cloaked," Lloyd said and quickly looked away just in time to catch a glimpse of a flash of light from outside the window that temporarily distracted him.

"Oh that's just great! Phil got arrested and left our time machine sitting in the past!!" Pim yelled, but Lloyd was only half way listening. "If it falls into the wrong hands they will probably come after all of us!"

"Did you guys just see that...," Lloyd started to say, but he trailed off when he noticed the look on Pim's face. "I'm sure it won't fall into the wrong hands. No one will be able to find it with the cloaking device I invented," Lloyd said with a little pride in his voice.

Pim seemed appeased by this and did not continue her fussing. Lloyd was busy looking out the window for the source of the flash of light, but he saw nothing.

"Is everything okay honey?" Barb asked and Lloyd looked like he was still barely listening.

"Yes...I'm fine," Lloyd lied.

"Honey we should look into getting a good lawyer for Phil. I heard the Clark's son is a great lawyer," Barb said and Lloyd nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll give them a call here in a second," Lloyd said when suddenly the video screen beeped to alert them of an incoming call. Lloyd rushed over and pressed a button. After a couple of seconds the screen lit up to show Phil's face.

"Hey guys they allowed me a short video call. I just wanted you to know that my hearing is two days from now. I'm thinking after all of this maybe I should just take my punishment. It's Dad that they want anyway. It is probably not a good idea for Dad to come to the hearing because they are itching to take him into custody," Phil said and looked more worried than they had ever seen him.

"We understand. Don't worry Phil we are going to get you a good lawyer," Lloyd said.

"Thanks Dad. These guys are pretty serious about this whole Fate thing. Today they told me I was going to marry some girl I've never met in less than a year from now. I don't see that happening. I can't do that to Keely. I just don't believe shes....," Phil trailed off and looked on the verge of tears.

"I understand son. Don't worry about them they are all nut jobs in my opinion. You just stay strong for us okay?" Lloyd said and Phil nodded.

"Love you guys. I gotta go," Phil said and after everyone said 'I Love you" back the screen switched off.

All three of them looked uneasy, even Pim, they were about to speak when the doorbell rang.

"Curtis could you get that please!" Lloyd called out and he heard Curtis groan and head for the door.

Finally Barb spoke up and said, "We all need to be strong. I'm sure we can get through this. We are a family and darn strong one at that!"

"Barbara is right. I just wish I knew how we could help Phil," Lloyd said.

"I think I can help!" a voice said from behind them.

It took a second for what they heard to sink in. One by one the Diffy's looked at each other in shock. Each one wondered whether they really heard it or not. Slowly they turned to look in the direction of the door.

There, standing in the doorway....was Keely.

**To be continued...**


	6. What's In a Name?

**Chapter 6: What's In a Name?**

"Keely!!!" Barb cried out and all three of them rushed to hug her. "You're alive!" Barb added as she pulled her in close.

"Yeah I am! I'm so sorry for what I must have put you all through. I had no choice though. When I saw that Phil was being arrested I couldn't just sit around my house and worry," Keely said as everyone hugged her, even Pim.

"But how did you get here?" Lloyd asked.

"Well that's the funny thing. Two days after Phil was arrested your time machine just appeared in front of my house!" Keely said.

"The cloaking device! I told you guys it had some bugs! It must have malfunctioned," Lloyd said and looked more happy than anyone had ever been about a malfunction.

"That's great, but you were reported missing! Please tell me that you didn't just leave without explaining things to your Mom!" Barb said.

"I explained everything to her. I...told her your secret. I hope that is okay. Don't worry she won't tell anyone. Once I explained everything that happened...and then reexplained it....and then used some of the gadgets from the time machine to prove it, she finally understood what I had to do! The missing person report was her idea. Since I'm never going back she wanted to explain my absence," Keely said and waited for a reaction.

"You're never going back?" Lloyd asked.

"I can't can I? The laws prohibit it. I'm lucky I got here without getting arrested! And the ride...was interesting. Especially the giant insects!" she said with a scared look.

"Oh yeah we should have warned you about that," Barb said with a weak smile.

"Besides...I'm here for Phil. Why would I want to go back when the man I love is here in this time?" she said and everyone but Pim went, "Awww."

"The thing is Keely Teslow was declared dead quite a few years ago. If you just show up things are going to get a little messy," Lloyd said.

"I have a plan for that too. I'm going to start a new life, with a new name. I can pretend to be one of Keely's descendants! The only trick is getting the necessary documents and stuff," Keely said and looked a little worried.

"I think we can cover that when the time comes. We're just glad to have you back. Oh wait until we tell Phil!!" Lloyd said and his face lit up with the last few words.

"Honey it's going to be hard to get that message to Phil without it being intercepted right now. They will be watching Phil like a hawk. Oh no!!! They are watching the house! The might have seen Keely!" Barb yelled as the realization hit her.

"Don't worry. During the long trip I played around with this Wizard until I got the hang of it. When I got to this time I parked the time machine on the next street over and used the cloaking device on it. Then I used the wizard to disguise myself when I walked up to the house. Curtis didn't even recognize me at first when he answered the door!" Keely said with a smile.

"Wow, I guess we've rubbed off on you over the years," Lloyd said.

"So what's your plan?" Barb asked.

"I don't know yet. You guys need to fill me in on what's happened so far," Keely said.

"Phil says he's going to marry some girl he's never met in less than a year!" Pim said excitedly and Keely looked hurt.

"What!?" Keely exclaimed.

"Pim!! Let me explain Keely," Lloyd said and then proceeded to tell her about the CTTF and their ideas about fate and what they had told Phil. When he was done Keely was calmed down, but she gave Pim a dirty look.

"What? I was just passing on the message. Don't shoot the messenger!" Pim said.

"Well I'm here now so forget "Fate"! No one is marrying my man!" Keely said with a triumphant look.

"The hearing is in two days. We will have to come up with a plan by then. I'm going to call the Clark's and see about getting that lawyer!" Barb said and then added, "Make yourself at home Keely. You can sleep in Phil's room tonight. I'll be spraying out some dinner here soon."

"Thanks Mrs. Diffy," Keely said.

"Honey you know you can call me Barbara," she said and then hugged Keely again.

Keely grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs to Phil's room. The second she walked in the door she was overwhelmed by emotion. After all this time she was finally going to be with the love of her life. She looked around his room, not wanting to pry too deeply for privacy sake, but also wanting to touch and see every nook and cranny of the room. She walked over to his closet and couldn't help but lean in and smell his clothes. The scent she missed so badly filled her nose. At that moment she felt kind of like an obsessed little girl, but she couldn't help it. Just a few days ago she thought she would never see him again. She turned and looked across the room, taking in every little nuance and every quirk. He was surprisingly neat for a guy. She spied a pair of Virtu-Goggles sitting on his desk and couldn't help but think about the trip to the virtual mall he took her on. She remembered how jealous he got when she hit on the robot waiter. It made her giggle to think about how little she realized back then what would become of their relationship. She then looked at his bedside table and saw the photograph of herself sitting there. She picked it up and smiled at the fact that he kept this by his bedside. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Barbara walk up.

"Dinner is ready Keely," she said.

"Oh...thank you Barbara," Keely said and placed the photo back on the table.

"Phil is going to be so glad to know you are okay. He truly does love you Keely," Barb said with a smile.

"I know he does and I love him," Keely replied.

Barb started to walk away, but she stopped and turned back to Keely to say, "by the way what did you choose to be your new name? That is if you have chosen that yet."

"Oh I have. I am going to go by my Grandmother's name," Keely said.

"Really? What was her name?" Barb asked.

Keely smiled and said, "Alyson Martin."

**To be continued...**


	7. Trial and Error

**Chapter 7: Trial and Error**

Barbara and Pim Diffy walked down a hallway lined with small rooms. The guard led them to a room at the end of the hall and pressed a button on the wall that caused a door to slide open.

"Have a seat and the prisoner will be in to see you shortly," the guard said.

"Thank you," Barb said and walked inside.

The room was quite plain with dark blue walls, a door on both sides of the room, and a small table in the middle with chairs on either side. Barb and Pim sat down on one side of the table and within seconds the door on the other side of the room slid open. Phil walked in and smiled at his Mother and Sister. He was surprised to see Pim's face light up at the sight of him and wondered if she was feeling well. Phil took a seat across from his mother.

"Hello honey. How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm doing okay I suppose," Phil said, but he didn't look okay at all. "Pim I'm surprised to see you here," Phil added.

"Umm...honey there's something you should know," Barb started to say, but Pim cut her off. However, the voice that came from Pim's mouth...was not Pim's.

"Phil it's me! I had to disguise myself as Pim because they are watching us. I'm okay and I've come to help you," Keely said.

"Keel...," Phil started to say, but Barb hushed him quickly. Phil's face was lit up with emotion that he was desperately trying to hold inside. A tear rolled down Phil's cheek as he was overjoyed that Keely was alive and well.

"I've missed you so much. I thought you were...," Phil started to say, but couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"I missed you too. I will explain everything later, but for now we have to focus on the hearing," Keely said and looked like she wanted to jump out of her chair and kiss Phil right then and there. She then spoke in a hushed tone to Phil as she said, "I'm going to come speak for you at the hearing, but I will be going under my new name. I have to take on a new identity here in the future since Keely is technically dead. I'm going to change my appearance slightly and pretend to be one of Keely's descendants. I will be going under the name Alyson Martin."

When Keely said this name Phil's eyes went wide with shock.

"What? What is it?" Keely asked.

"Nothing, I'll explain later. This sounds like a great plan. Let's just hope the council sees things our way. That guy that arrested me is harsh. He seems to hate our family for some reason," Phil said in a hushed tone.

"We don't have much time left. Be strong for me okay. I brought you something that might help you," Keely said and then reached into her purse and pulled out Phil's pepper shaker. She handed it to Phil and he smiled.

"Read it. I had the inscription changed," Keely said.

Phil looked down at the shaker and noticed an engraving that read, "To Phil. You are my past, present, and future. Love Always, Keely." "I love it," Phil said.

Pim/Keely and Barb stood to leave as the guard motioned that their time was up. As they walked out the door Keely turned and mouthed the words, "Good Luck."

Later that day Phil was lead to a circular room that was divided by a short, waist high, wall down the middle. On one side of the wall were seats for observers, and on the other side was a table that sat front and center in front of a tall bench. On the bench three men sat wearing official looking uniforms. They wore dark black robes with a patch of silver running down each shoulder. The all looked stern and serious as they watched Phil enter. In the crowd Phil saw his Mom and who he guessed to be the real Pim as she looked annoyed to be there. There were a few other people in the crowd, but not too many. At the table a middle aged man in a lawyer's suit sat waiting. Off to the side of the council's bench a man sat holding what looked like a slightly larger version of a wizard. Phil walked through the small wooden gate in the wall and sat down at the table next to the lawyer.

"Hello Phil, my name is David Clark and I will be your lawyer. This is just a formal hearing, not a full trial so don't be too nervous," David said.

"Are you kidding I'm nervous as can be. How is this thing going to go down?" Phil asked.

"I will call a character witness, which in this case is Ms. Martin, the witness to the alleged crime, which is Officer Kirkpatrick, will also speak," David started to say, but Phil cut him off.

"Officer Kirkpatrick?" Phil asked as the name sounded awfully familiar to him.

"Yes the man who arrested you. He will speak and then you will go to the stand and the Council will ask you questions. After all that is done they will decide your punishment," David said.

Phil stirred nervously in his seat, glancing back at his Mom from time to time, and wondering when it was going to start. He pulled the pepper shaker from his pocket and set it on the table. David glanced over and smiled before saying, "I'm glad you brought that. You'll need it." Phil gave him a quizzical look, but David had turned to face the front again.

"Will you all please be seated so we can begin," an old gray haired man said. "This is the hearing for Phillip Diffy. Mr. Diffy you are accused of unlawfully using a time machine to travel to the past with the intent of bringing back a citizen of the past to our time. Does the accused have anyone to speak on his behalf?"

"Yes your honor. We would like to call forth Ms. Alyson Martin," David stood up and said.

The doors at the back of the room opened and in walked Keely, but she looked different. Her hair was now brunette and was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore glasses and a sleek looking business suit. Phil couldn't keep his eyes off of her as it was the first time he had actually seen her face since learning she was alive. She caught his eye and winked at him with a smile before she headed to the chair next to the bench and sat down.

"Miss Martin could you please tell us a little about yourself and your connection to the accused?" the councilman asked.

"Yes sir. My Great Great Great Aunt was Keely Teslow, the girlfriend of Mr. Diffy, whom Phil went to the past to save. Our family has passed down stories about Mr. Diffy and his kindness to my Great Great Great Aunt. I know of how he went to the past to save her life, only to be stopped and arrested in the process. Keely Teslow disappeared, never to be hear from again, only two days later. If Phil had only been allowed to save her then she would have had a full life! Mr. Diffy had no intentions of changing history. All he wanted to do was save the woman he loved," Keely said and almost came to tears.

"That's touching Ms. Martin, but you are basing all of this off of a story that has been passed down for years. Until today you have not even met Mr. Diffy, so how can you tell us what kind of person he is?" The councilman said.

"Your honor I would like to present some evidence that Ms. Martin has brought to our attention," David stood up to say and reached into a box to pull out Keely's Salt Shaker. He then approached the bench and handed it to the middle councilman.

"This Salt Shaker was part of a present given to Mr. Diffy by Keely Teslow in the year 2006. Each of them kept one shaker to remember each other by. Ms. Martin was kind enough to give this to us to present. It was passed down through her family. If you look at the inscription it reads, "Keely and Phil. Today, tomorrow, and forever". You will also note that Mr. Diffy here has the Pepper shaker that goes with it sitting right here on the table. This was a token of their love, as strange as it may seem to you. Phil went back to the past because this woman he loved was in danger," David said to the council.

"It's true your honor. Phil really loved my Great Great Great Aunt and this proves it," Keely said to the council.

"Thank you Ms. Martin that will be all," the councilman said as he handed the shaker back to David and Keely stepped down. "We will now hear testimony from Officer Taylor Kirkpatrick of the Chrono-Terrorism Task Force," he added.

The same time cop that arrested Phil came walking into the room and headed for the seat next to the bench. Suddenly Phil remembered where he had heard the name Kirkpatrick. "Tanner?" Phil said to himself quietly.

"Did you say something?" David asked from beside him.

"No, nothing," Phil said quickly.

"_Is this why he hates our family so much? Did Tanner's family pass down stories about me to their kids?" _Phil thought to himself.

Officer Kirkpatrick walked past the barrier and glanced over into the crowd. For a second he did a double take when he saw Keely. Keely just looked away and tried not to make eye contact with him. He then took a seat beside the bench and began to speak. "My unit had been doing surveillance on the Diffy family for some time. We were worried that they would attempt to return to the past. Their son had ties to the past in the form of a girlfriend he left behind. Two days ago I witnessed their son leaving their house in the middle of the night in a time machine. I followed him to the past and arrested him while he was attempting to bring a 21st Century female to our time with him," Taylor said as he stared a hole through Phil.

"I never said I was going to bring Keely to the future with me," Phil said to David in a hushed tone.

David simply nodded and stood to question Taylor.

"Mr. Kirkpatrick did Mr. Diffy ever actually say that he intended to bring Ms. Teslow back with him?" David asked.

"Well no, but if he loved her as much as they say wouldn't he have wanted to?" Kirkpatrick said.

"I'm sure he did, but we're not discussing what he might have wanted to do here are we?" David said with a smirk.

"Even if he wasn't going to bring her back he still went there to change the future!" Kirkpatrick said.

"According to Mr. Diffy's testimony he went there to protect his girlfriend," David said in return.

"Which would have altered her fate. No offense to Ms. Teslow...or her descendants, but her fate was to disappear and we all know that making changes to the past is strictly prohibited!" Kirkpatrick said and began to sound a little annoyed.

"I hardly see how a teenager trying to protect his girlfriend is a threat to national security though," David said and Kirkpatrick shifted forward in his seat before replying.

"Look, my job is to protect the integrity of the time-line and that means all of it!" Kirkpatrick said and began to really sound upset.

"Isn't it almost impossible at this point to police all of it? Should you be focusing on major events?" David asked.

"Hold on! I don't tell you how to do your job!" Kirkpatrick said with obvious anger in his voice now.

"The Diffy family spent two and a half years in the past and nothing happened. The world did not end and no major events were affected. Doesn't it seem odd that you would spend so much time and man power on one family who as already been through a hearing such as this and were found innocent?" David said and this made Taylor even more angry.

"That boy went to the past to alter events that were already set in place! He is a criminal!" Kirkpatrick yelled.

"Mr. Kirkpatrick I will ask that you lower your voice in this courtroom!" the councilman on the left said.

Taylor didn't show any signs of hearing the councilman as he huffed and puffed in his seat.

"As we all know at this point nothing was altered. Ms. Teslow sadly disappeared in the year 2006 and was never heard from again. Nothing was changed," David said.

"Lies!!! Ms. Teslow is in this very room as we speak! I saw her sitting right over there!" Kirkpatrick yelled and pointed at Keely in the crowd. "That is the same woman that I caught Mr. Diffy talking to in the past!"

"Mr. Kirkpatrick please calm down!" the middle councilman said.

"That is Ms. Teslow's descendant. It's not unlikely that she would bear some resemblance to her," David said and Kirkpatrick looked livid.

"You are letting them all make a mockery of our time travel laws!! All the work my men and I have put into preserving your lives is being thrown away as we speak!" Kirkpatrick yelled.

"You are out of line Mr. Kirkpatrick!" the councilman on the right said.

"It is no secret that you and your men have been reprimanded before for questionable tactics Mr. Kirkpatrick so I would advise that you listen to the councilman," David said and finally Kirkpatrick lost it. He leaped out of his chair at David, but the nearby Bailiff stepped in and grabbed him.

"Mr. Kirkpatrick!!! This behavior is unacceptable! Bailiff please take him into custody," the middle councilman said. "In light of the actions of the arresting officer I have decided that all charges will be dropped. However, Mr. Diffy you will destroy the time machine this time and provide proof of its destruction to this court by next Monday. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Phil said with a smile on his face.

"Case dismissed!" the councilman said and Phil stood up quickly and hugged David, which caught him off guard.

Phil turned to look at Keely who was beaming with joy. He practically leaped over the barrier and ran to hug her.

"We did it!" she cried.

"Thank you. You sacrificed everything to come here for me. How can I repay you?" Phil asked.

"By never leaving me again," Keely said.

"Don't worry, you and I are together now...forever," Phil said and then leaned in to kiss her.

**To be concluded..**


	8. A New Fate

**Chapter 8: A New Fate**

Phil, Keely, Barb, and Pim all walked out of the courthouse and into the sunlight. Phil stood there basking in his freedom for a second as his Mom walked a short ways off to use a wizard to call Lloyd. Phil looked back at Keely who was taking off her glasses and letting her hair down. He couldn't help but smile and say, "I like this new look on you."

"Thanks. I think I could get used to it," Keely said and walked over to put her arms around Phil. He pulled her in close and kissed her again, which made Pim roll her eyes and pretend to barf.

"I almost forgot to tell you. The reason I was so shocked by your new name earlier is because while I was being interrogated Kirkpatrick told me that my fate was to marry a woman named Alyson Martin," Phil said after breaking the kiss.

"Really?" Keely said as her face lit up with a smile.

"Yeah and he said we would have two kids together. We're supposed to be married this coming April," Phil said and Keely was overjoyed.

"That's wonderful," Barb said as she walked up and overheard their conversation.

"So Phil isn't marrying some woman he never met?" Pim said sounding disappointed.

Barb gave Pim a dirty look before walking over and hugging Phil and Keely.

"I'm so happy for the two of you. You finally get to be together," Barb said.

"I guess there is something to this whole fate thing after all," Phil said with a sigh.

"Phil haven't you learned anything from the Giggle? Fate is determined by our choices. You saw back in the past how much one little decision changed my future. Yeah Kirkpatrick told you that we were fated to be married, but that fate was decided the day that we decided we love each other. The future is never written in stone. We could have three kids if we wanted," Keely said with a smile and a laugh.

"No fate but what we make," Phil said and Keely smiled again.

"Yeah, exactly," Keely said and leaned her head onto Phil's shoulder.

As they stood there holding each other Lloyd walked up and patted Phil on the back.

"Congratulations son. I knew you would be okay," Lloyd said and Phil let go of Keely to receive a hug from his Dad.

"Yeah, but did you hear that we absolutely have to destroy the time machine this time?" Phil said and Lloyd looked like someone had kicked him in the gut.

"I thought that might happen. Well...it was fun while it lasted," Lloyd said and sought Barb for comfort. "Hey how about we all go get some dinner? I'll buy for everyone!" Lloyd then added.

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving," Phil said and held out his arm for Keely to take. "Shall we go?"

"I'd love to," Keely said and took him by the arm as the started to walk off.

Lloyd and Barb followed close behind as Lloyd put his arm around his wife. He then looked back and said, "Coming Pim?"

She just shrugged her shoulders and followed after them.

"Well I know one thing," Barb said.

"What's that honey?" Lloyd asked.

"If we are going to have a wedding in April then we need to get started on the planning right away!" she said and walked off to talk to Keely.

"Wait..what? What wedding? Honey...who's getting married?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

Pim couldn't help but laugh and pat her Dad on the back.

"This should be interesting," Pim said and walked off, leaving her Dad dumbfounded.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on," Lloyd said and everyone else just laughed. "Honey! Hey guys wait up!" Lloyd added when he noticed he was falling behind.

Phil and Keely just looked at each other and laughed. Phil then placed his arm around Keely's shoulder and said, "Where to Keely? Or should I say Alyson?"

Keely stopped and turned to Phil before saying, "Call me Aly. I kind of like the sound of it."

"Aly it is then," Phil said and the two of them continued to walk on.

**The End.**


End file.
